Chevalier College in NSW Southern Highlands permanently adopts four-day face-to-face learning for some students after trial

A NSW school has trialled a groundbreaking new approach to flexible learning in which some students were allowed to study from home on Mondays.

Catholic school Chevalier College at Bowral, in the Southern Highlands, allowed students who met certain criteria to embark on self-directed work during the trial which started at the beginning of 2024.

Years 10 to 12 students who passed a “micro-credentials test” of three to four hours, a workshop, and a final assessment were invited to study from home on Mondays, meaning only four face-to-face school days were required.

The school said after a successful trial period it will permanently move to a four-day face-to-face week as part of the new education model.

“After thoughtful consideration, the Board endorses its integration as a permanent feature of Chevalier College’s ‘Future Facing’ educational strategy,” it said.

The school said it observed a number of positive outcomes among the students in the Flipped Learning trial including better task completion and time management, better self-regulation, and flexibility.

Among potential improvements, the school noted at-home Mondays can be “really effective” in setting up the learning week but only when “stricter” teachers follow through.

The school noted some teachers need to “set the right amount and the right type of Monday work better”.

About 85 per cent of student involved said they felt organised for their learning and 82 per cent felt they managed their time well.

However, only 44 per cent felt they learnt a lot on the Monday, and 45 per cent said they dug deeper into a topic or deepened their understanding.

The school said “education today must prepare students for a future in a rapidly changing world” and added “the current system is falling short”.

“It is our belief that an educational approach that is flexible, adaptable, and focused on developing the knowledge, capabilities and self-development of the individuals is critical to our students’ success in the modern world,” it said.

The school said it received positive feedback overall, however noted a few challenges with the style of learning that will need to be addressed in future.